In the Front of My Heart
by sour-skittle13
Summary: sequel to BACK OF MY MIND: Elliot and Olivia have to go undercover to pick up someone killing off night club dancers. What happens when they get a little to comfortable with their surroundings. Elliot's POV. some language.
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own and wouldn't really know what to do if I did. Please don't sue.

A/N: This is a sequel to _In the Back of My Mind_. Again, AU and I really don't want flames. If you feel you must criticize, please do so constructively, after all, no one is making you read anything. Thank you!

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**In the Front of My Heart**

**Chapter 1**

I hate time. When you want to savor a moment, it rushes forward, not caring if you boarded the train or not. If had my share of time's practical jokes and I've got to say, I'm starting to wish it would just leave me alone. The first time I fell victim to the clock, I was sixteen. My father, being a cop and all, had sent me to a camp that his partner from homicide, who is now my captain, was in charge of. My sister Jessica was enrolled as a counselor and her boyfriend was going along, but I was adamant in my thinking that Cop Camp in the Poconos was going to suck.

As it turns out I was partially right, but that's not what matters now. My family always told me that I'd fall for a girl with spirit. Kathy has spirit, I'm not disputing that, but _she_ had more spirit than that of a wild stallion. The first time I saw her was on the bus and I couldn't tear my eyes away. She was the last one on, with long dark hair and tan skin. While most girls wore miniscule shorts and halter tops, she was wearing an outfit that I would have donned if it was my size.

She was beautiful yes, but I think I fell hard when she climbed onto the armrest of the bus seat to put her bag away. She didn't stand and whine like most girls I know would have, she solved the problem herself. I saw her foot go out from under her a few seconds before she started to fall and my instincts kicked in, I caught her and set her down gently, commenting on her 'boyfriend' to find out if she was single. Turns out she was.

That summer was the best of my life, it started out dangerously, a girl was raped and she just had to solve the case that the police didn't believe existed. Looking back on that day, I'm shocked that Melanie talked to her, knowing what I know now, getting a victim to tell you what happened is often the hardest part of the job. Well, that and having to tell their family.

Olivia Benson. She's probably married with two kids now, living upstate in a huge house with a devoted husband. She probably gets to stay at home and jump huge horses over four foot fences. She's definitely not still thinking about me.

I've been a detective for a couple of years now. I got married early, had a kid and went to Queens Community College. I aced the police exam without being in the academy more than a year and picked up a job with Special Victims. If anyone asks, I say I requested the assignment because sexually based crimes are big law enforcement. In truth, I'm hoping that if for some bizarre reason Olivia were to ever become a cop, she'd join the SVU squad too. That's part of why I work in Manhattan and not Queens.

_Crack. . ._

There goes another pencil. John Munch gives me a warning look. Basically all of the people I work with now went to that camp. Unfortunately for me, none of them know where Olivia went after high school. I bet Fin knows, but I haven't seen him since that summer either.

"Are you going to quit breaking office supplies?" Munch asks me casually when I grab another pencil. Damn my nervous habit.

"Are you going to tell me what happened between you and my sister twelve years ago?"

Munch glares at me from over his glasses, "No," he finally says,

I raise an eyebrow at him, "Well then there's your answer." To be kind though, I do put the pencil back down.

Brian Cassidy rolls his eyes at his partner before turning to me, "Know who the newbie is?"

I shake my head. The hand on my watch isn't moving. I should take it off so I'm not staring at it every two seconds. If time races when you want it to be slow, it seems to grow roots and plant itself into a spot when you are waiting for something.

"I'm going to grab a quick lunch, anyone want anything?" I hoist myself out of my chair, for an almost thirty year old man, I'm surprised that I still function so well.

The guys all shake their heads, but Monique takes me up on my offer.

"Salad," she trills, slapping a five dollar bill on my desk before making her way into Don's office.

I pass a young woman on my way out of the precinct; she's wearing a brown blazer over a blue tank top and jeans. Her dark hair is short and hangs loosely around her face. Her eyes make me stop for a moment but she offers me a smile and continues moving towards the stairs, not the elevator even though she doesn't need the excersize.

My brain is working overtime and I have to speak out loud to make myself believe that I didn't actually just pass Olivia Benson on my way outside. Besides, even if I did, it wouldn't matter. I'm married now with four kids, two of which, the twins, are only toddlers. Kathy isn't upset yet because I've somehow managed to keep good hours for the past few weeks, but then again, I'm not out on cases without a partner.

Apparently Cragen wanted this Detective. The only thing I knew was that my new partner had just graduated the academy and was two years younger than me and that's not a lot to go on.

I grab a half a turkey sandwich for myself and a salad for Monique before heading back towards the stationhouse. Coming here was just an excuse to pass time so that I wouldn't be moping around waiting for my new partner to come and meet me. Whoever they are, apparently they have a friend who was shot on the job and had a delay because they wanted to check on them.

I walk back to the precinct, playing a stupid game and trying to avoid the cracks. As I near the stationhouse I start to wonder what that woman I passed earlier needed here. I didn't get a good look at her; just want she was wearing because I was staring at the floor at the time. Dark hair, that was about all I saw. If she has a case, it's mine because I am so ready to hit the streets with my new partner, whenever they get here.

I take the elevator up to the fifth floor, because I'm feeling too lazy to walk up the stairs. That's what desk duty does to me, it sucks the life out of my limbs. The whole unit stares at me when I walk to my desk. I toss Monique her salad and she mutters a brief thanks but continues to stare at me. Munch shoves a pencil into my hands.

"You're going to need this!" he says calmly, I can read the shock in his voice and now I'm nervous.

"Come meet your partner," Cragen calls from his office.

Fighting the butterflies that are break dancing in my stomach, I walk slowly to the door and step inside. The woman I passed has her back turned to me, her blazer is neatly draped across a chair and she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. I check to make sure that my gray shirt is still tucked into my jeans before I clear my throat.

"I'm Detective Stabler," I say as she turns around and my breath catches in my throat.

"I know," her answer is casual, like we saw each other only yesterday. "I'm Detective Benson."

Her title sounds good and I let the words slide through my head for a few minutes. Benson, Olivia Benson, Detective Benson, Detective Olivia Benson. I smile broadly. Cragen sends me a proud look. He knows, and I know, that we worked well together twelve years ago, probably still do.

"See why I waited?" he asks me and I hope I nodded, because I meant to. "I'll leave you two to catch up."

He beelines for the door and Olivia's eyes flick to it as it shuts behind her.

"Sorry I'm late," she says quietly,

"That's fine." I answer quickly, "I heard your friend was shot, is everything alright?"

She nods, and I notice that she gets a handle on her tears a millisecond after they threatened.

"Fin's fine, took a bullet to the shoulder while taking out a dealer, I was a beat cop on duty."

"Wait," I stop her for a moment, "Fin's a cop?"

She smiles shyly and I wonder what she's thinking.

"NYPD narcotics. He has to support his family somehow." For a moment I'm afraid she means herself. "He has an eleven year old son and a young wife, she never finished college and barely finished high school."

"Eleven?" I repeat what she said, "He would've been,"

"17," she finishes for me. "I told him not to!"

We both laugh softly at that and she smiles again,

"Seriously though, sorry to have kept you waiting,"

I shake my head, "Don't worry about it, it wasn't that long!" I assume she's talking about being late in today, with Fin being shot I'm ready to forgive her.

"Twelve years is a long time El!" she whispers.

We both know that we were meant to be partners if nothing more.

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Tbc… i think, let me know!

Sour-Skittle


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: If I owned them the show would never be on because Christopher Meloni would be waiting on me hand and foot, guess it's better that Dick Wolfe keeps them…… for now!

A/N: sorry for the long wait, I've had things on my mind and stuff to do! I got to go, the Trial by Jury season finale is on! Please Review!

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**In The Front of My Mind**

**Chapter 2**

"Who else are you still in touch with?" she asks me, taking a sip of her hot coffee.

"You mean from that summer?" she nods and I think for a minute. "Well, there's Captain Cragen, Munch, Cassidy, Monique, I saw Huang the other day." Olivia bites back a chuckle. "What?" I ask her,

She doesn't answer, just takes another long gulp of coffee before giving a small yelp. She almost drops the cup and sticks her tongue out to look at the tip of it.

"Burn your tongue?" I ask her, holding back my laugh.

Olivia glowers at me, "Yes I did, and it's not very funny, old man!"

I feign shock and pretend to die when she slaps my arm. I'll have her know that I'm only two years older than she is, besides, that coffee had been mine until she took it from my desk.

"Old?" I repeat, shootin her a dangerous look. This rookie better know some good defense moves.

Olivia nods, backing away slowly; a devilish glint to rival mine is dancing in her eyes. I run a hand over the stubble on my chin and furrow my brow,

"Old," I say again, trying to make my partner feel horribly guilty about making wise-cracks about my age.

"If the discount is applicable, use it!" she growls playfully and I send her a glare of mock hurt. If we are talking senior citizen discounts, I'm still at least thirty years below the mark.

"Hey girly, I'm only two years older than you are." I reach out a hand to grab her arm and pull her back towards me.

For a few moments, I can't catch my breath. The last time I was this close to her we were teenagers and making out. She's definitely grown since high school, no longer the small, tan sprite I used to know, she's still shorter than me though, even with heels on. Olivia's pulse speeds up and her breathing shallows.

"Careful with the wounded," she tries to joke but her voice comes out husky, sending shivers down my spine.

"Burn yourself that bad?" I ask, knowing that we seriously need to lighten the mood before I get myself into trouble with Kathy.

She nods, her eyes wide and innocent, just like I remember them from that summer so long ago.

I send her a cheeky grin and pull her even closer, my control slipping through my fingers like sand or smoke, and no matter how hard I clench my fist I can't make it stay with me. We jumped straight from partners to close friends and now I can barely remember my wife's name. Damn this girl for making me want her so badly, and damn myself for not having better control.

"Want me to kiss it better?" I ask. Half of me is being sarcastic, the other half is serious, I want to kiss her with every fiber of my being, and she regains control for me.

"Sure," she jokes, "And while you're at it, I have a paper cut on my knuckles from this morning, wanna kiss that too?" I raise and my brow at her and she rolls her eyes at me.

I let my lips caress her hand for a moment and watch her eyes flutter closed.

"Benson,"

We jump apart as Munch sticks his head into the crib.

"Your phone is ringing!" he says, tossing her cellular at us. She catches it in the hand I didn't touch and flips it open.

I ignore her side of the conversation in favor of the look Munch is giving me. The one that asks if my wife knows about my new _female_ partner, the female that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since I first met her.

I hear a gasp and out of the corner of my eyes see Liv start to go down. Her legs are going out from under her and I rush to her side and grab her before she hits the floor. Munch has disappeared to find Cragen and I focus on my partner's shallow breathing.

I press my hand to her heart and feel it beating madly.

"Liv, look at me!" I tuck my finger under her chin and turn her face towards me. "What's wrong?" I demand,

She doesn't answer, just lets me help her to her feet, Cragen rushes to her side.

"Hun, what happened," the whole squad is witness to the fatherly display, which would be shocking and sweet if we weren't all concerned about Olivia.

She turns to the captain and says one word, "Hospital,"

* * *

OOO

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We can't maneuver through traffic fast enough, Cragen has the sirens on and Munch is clinging to the safety handle. Brian and I are squeezed around Liv and Monique is meeting us there. Cragen knows what's on Liv's mind, but none of the rest of us do.

We race down the halls of the ICU until Liv pauses outside of one room; I note that the tears are barely contained in her eyes. There are two shadows inside the room and one looks like a child. Realization courses through me as I remember that Fin was shot the other day.

She turns when the door opens and a young black woman emerges, shepherding a young boy. He's about my daughter Maureen's age, maybe a bit older and he rushes to Olivia when he sees her. I can see the child's resolve shatter and he sobs into her jacket while clutching tightly around her neck. The woman hugs Olivia as well and they share a few whispered words. Olivia is definitely more visibly upset than the boy's mother is.

She whispers some reassuring words to the kid and gives his mother a sad smile before they walk away wearily. Putting a hand on the door she pushes it open. Cragen stops me from following her inside so I move to the large window.

A large, black man is on the hospital bed, several machines are hooked up to him and Olivia is holding his hand tightly. Fin looks basically the same, bandages are wrapped around his shoulder and his abdomen, a little bit of blood seeped through the shoulder wound and I watch Olivia brush his hair out of his eyes. His eyes open and they share a few words before she brushes a friendly kiss across his cheek. Fin's eyes flit closed and Olivia makes her way out of the room before flinging herself into my arms.

Her tears seep into the collar of my shirt and I shush her as best I can. I gently rock us back and forth, crooning softly in her ear. Cragen joins us, rubbing a sympathetic hand down my partner's back.

"Doctor wants to talk to you in person!" he mumbles sweetly.

I expect her to leave me standing there with Cragen but she doesn't let my hand go. A man in blue scrubs walks down the hall towards us and gives Olivia a sad smile.

"Miss Olivia, I wish I had better news!" he hands me a tissue and I wipe her tears away carefully,

"Will he be okay?" she chokes out past her tears. I know what she's feeling, I lost my best friend while we were in the marines, and Olivia might loose hers.

The doctor shrugs, "We're not sure," he says very quietly, "he's developed a staff infection in the wound in his abdomen. There was minor blood pooling in his left lung when he was shot and the infection isn't going to do any good."

Olivia takes a deep breath and closes her eyes tightly, "Promise me, that you will do everything you can to help him!"

The doctor nodded and followed both of us back into Fin's room,

"Love you Baby," Fin whispered to Olivia, "I'll be okay, don't you fret your pretty head!"

She nodded and pulled me forward to stand right behind her.

"Elliot Stabler," I say, smiling softly,

Fin nods, "Take care of her," he pants quietly, "If I ever find out that Liv ends up in here you will have a snowball's chance in hell of surviving!"

Sleep claims him and we silently pile back into my car. Monique drove everyone else back to the precinct about an hour earlier.

"I'll drive you home!" I tell her softly. She shakes her head.

"I'll sleep in the crib. I don't want to be home alone right now." She's still shaking.

I ignore her and park the car along the curb in front of her building. Olivia slumps out of the passenger seat and I help her into the elevator and into her apartment. I shut the door behind me and pour her a glass of water.

"Got a pillow?" I ask her, she nods.

"Why?"

"Because no one needs to be alone after news like this."

She tosses me a pillow and I sit on the hunter green love seat. Olivia smiles at me and sits too.

"You got my back?" she asks me and I nod before turning of the light and letting her settle against my chest.

"I always have and i always will!"

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tbc… 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: if you still need one, check the other two chapters!

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, we've been getting ready for our big move!

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**The Front of My Heart**

**Chapter 3**

My neck is subtly aching and there is a cramp in either one of my legs when the vibrations of my cell phone against my hip alerts me to the early morning light.

My body is spooned around a female and for a minute I believe that it is my wife, only the blood in my body racing south immediately disproves my theory.

Kathy and I were too young to get married, but with a kid on the way and our Catholic traditions and the fact that we thought we were in love, marriage seemed like the right thing to do.

Olivia stirs against my chest and turns over to drape her body across mine. I try to conjure up images of ice storms and polar ice caps to suppress my body's natural reaction to her closeness and the smell of her perfume. She shifts again so that her legs are straddling my upper thigh and I can't help but wonder if she is comfortable sleeping in jeans, but I don't want to move her for fear of rousing her from her slumber.

Her arm curls around my waist and she snuggles deeper into my stomach. Olivia strongly reminds me of a kitten. If you are nice to her and respect her, she will show you her sweet, loving side, but treat her the wrong way, or do one wrong thing, and she won't ever let you live it down, assuming that she is still talking to you.

I work my hand slowly into my pocket to retrieve the offending device and check the caller id. Cragen. Shit. I flip it open and listen to him whisper into the mouth piece.

"Captain," I mumble into the phone, careful not to wake my gorgeous partner.

"I don't need an excuse Detective, I know that you are at Olivia's," I start to interrupt to make sure that he knows that nothing happened except our friendship solidified, but Don doesn't let me, "You might want to call your wife first off and then tell Livia that if I see her pretty face down here today she won't have a job anymore."

"Sure thing!" I answer before closing the phone and slipping it back into my pants.

My partner hides her face in my dress shirt and moans softly, she clearly isn't a morning person. Her hair is slightly mussed and her cheeks are gently flushed and she scrunches her eyes closed tightly, trying to avoid the light. I don't think that she is aware of the fact that her body is nestled tightly into mine, or if she is she is doing a damn good job of pretending to not notice. Doesn't matter to me though, she needed my support and I'm willing to give it to her for as long as she needs it.

"Who called?" she asks quietly, managing to startle me out of my reverie.

I smile at her before answering, "Cragen,"

Her eyes, which had been closed before flutter open and I feel myself being pulled into their depths. My heart is hammering against my chest and I can tell she can feel its steady thudding. Her liquid-brown eyes are asking me several questions at once and I do my best to answer them.

"I told him you were fine. And you are to stay out of the precinct on Captain's orders."

She sighs softly, like she's trying to hold in a small chuckle and her eyes gently squint while her mouth adopts a gentle smile. If I thought she was beautiful as a teenager, nothing can hold a candle to her now. Her fingers find the small strip of skin that became exposed when my shirt came untucked sometime during the night. Her skin is warm and she slips her hands around to my stomach places a feather-light kiss on the skin of my abdomen. I feel my whole body tense at the contact and she smiles against my heated skin.

"You are the best friend any girl could have!" she chuckles before sliding off of my body to stand up and stretch. Her fingers make nimble work of the buttons on her shirt and let it fall to the floor before stretching again. Her white wife beater accentuates her tanned skin and she grins at me. "Coffee?" she asks cheerfully and I can barely manage a nod.

I sit up and mutter a quick 'thank you' She nods and motions towards her phone,

"You should call your wife and kids and let them know that you're alright!"

I know that I'm staring at her with my mouth probably wide open. She just smirks at me and raises an eyebrow.

"El, I knew you when I was fourteen, did you really think that Fin wasn't going to do an extensive background check? He does one for every person I ever work with. I know everything about you, from the birth of your twins Elizabeth and Richard, to the time you got mono while doing a stint in the marines."

I chuckle in reply and pull my phone out of my pocket while she waltzes into her kitchen. I hear the water dispenser on the fridge buzz and a cluster of ice cubes clink into a glass. I hit speed dial two on my cell and listen to the gentle ring of the phone. Kathy will be at the hospital by now; the kids will be at school.

"Hi, you've reached the Stablers and we're not home right now. Leave us your name, number and a brief message at the tone and we'll call you back as soon as possible…beep,"

"Hey, it's me! We had a small problem at the office. I'll be home for dinner tonight unless I call again!"

I shut my phone and pull myself to my feet, shuffling into the kitchen after my new partner. I lounge against the door frame and watch her throat move as she gulps down the cool water. Olivia clinks the now empty glass on the counter and wipes a drop of water off of her chin.

"So," I say nonchalantly, "What have you been up to? Besides becoming a gorgeous cop that is!"

She laughs lightly and looks away from me, "You don't really want to know, it's not that important."

"Liv, i asked didn't I?" she gives me a smile for that comment. "Besides, it's not like you were a stripper or anything!"

I notice the blush furiously heat her face before she can turn around and I stifle a chuckle. She would have made a damn near perfect tease.

"I wasn't a stripper," she defends softly, "I prefer the term exotic dancer thank you!"

"Want to exotically dance for me Babe?" I offer, watching her blush kick up another ten notches.

"Sorry," Olivia laughs at me, turning to face me over her shoulder. "I don't think I'd still fit into my costumes."

Before I can reply that she wouldn't have to wear her outfits very long, my cell phone rings again. I flip it open and stare at the number, Cragen again, I wonder what he wants with me.

"Stabler,"

I let him talk for a few moment before turning to Olivia, and scowling slightly.

"He says that he knows that he gave us the day off but Cassidy and Munch are in court and Monique is with her sister since their mom just passed away, so we've got our first body partner. 23 year old **_'exotic dancer'_** raped and murdered. Welcome to the club girly!"

She nods and shimmies out of her dress slacks and into a pair of jeans that she has draped across the back of a chair. Olivia holds her hand out to me and swiftly attaches her glock and badge to her waist.

"Let's kick some ass," she smirks at me, "partner!"

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tbc… 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own them, which sucks, because I would so resolve the sexual tension between El and Liv and save all us fans from an early death caused by too much stress.

A/N: sorry that this chapter is pretty dialogue heavy but I think the message of the story gets across pretty well. Please Review!

**The Front of My Heart**

**Chapter 4**

The body is pretty gruesome and I catch Olivia turning pale at the sight of all the blood. She handles it better than I would have at her stage in the game. I lost my lunch, breakfast and nerve after my first case. Our Medical Examiner starts to cover the body back up with the blue tarp but I notice that my partner stops her, Olivia crouches next to the girl and squeezes her eyes closed.

I wonder what she's thinking about, the victim is about the same height as Olivia with long dark hair and tan skin. It's hard to ignore the jagged lines that were diagonally cut into her chest, starting at her nipples and traveling down to scratch her hip bones. Deep gashes adorn her wrists and the back of her ankles and a slash tears across her throat. There are two deep scratches across her cheekbones and a white sarong is tied haphazardly around her waist, blood soaking through most of it.

"Victim's name is Estelle Milling. Time of death is about eight hours ago, at around two or two-thirty." The ME states, turning to give directions to several beat cops about being careful when loading the body into the morgue van. "Cause of Death was loss of blood from the multiple slashes on her body and there's definite trauma to the genitals. I'll let you know when I start her autopsy."

I thank her and force a smile, my eyes wandering over to where Olivia is still standing her gaze reaching into every nook and cranny in the alley way. I take a few steps towards her and call to her,

"Liv," she turns slightly, so that I am faced with her profile. "Our eyewitness is in Mercy Hospital, she fainted right after calling 911!"

She nods softly, "Munch called, she's awake and ready for questioning."

"We taking it?"

She nods again.

I grab my keys from my pocket and lead her back to my old brown sedan. I hold the door open while she silently slides her legs into the car before walking around the car to sit in the driver seat. I start the ignition but she puts her hand on mine before I can put the car into drive.

Right now I don't care if she bites my head off for asking, something is bothering her and I'm going to find out what. She is studying the denim in her pants, specifically the way the blue and white threads grab each other and form into the comfortable but somewhat tight fabric.

"What's wrong Olivia?"

She shrugs and shakes her head, her eyes never leaving her right thigh.

"Nothing!"

"Bull,"

She looks at me sharply before dropping her eyes again. Sighing I reach out my hand and tilt her chin up until she is staring me in the face. I find myself almost drowning in her dark orbs and I notice my breathing shallow and feel my lungs beg for more air.

She closes her eyes for a moment and lets her tongue wet her lips before her teeth sink into her full lower lip.

"I could have known her," Olivia pauses and shrugs again, "Hell, that girl couldn't have been someone I worked with or she could've been me. Thinking back, everyone in that line of work has faced the wrath of an angry customer, someone who gets outraged when your song ends and you put your shirt back on." I notice her stutter through several words but it doesn't sound like she's going to cry. "I was lucky I could protect myself, some girls couldn't. Bouncers don't always help; sometimes they are the ones who try to take advantage of performers. I want to nail this bastard's ass to the wall!"

**OOO**

"We're looking for an Ivy Jones," Olivia tells the nurse at the front desk.

The lady in scrubs purses her overly painted lips and flutters her fake eyelashes while her bright-red, claw-like nails clack dangerously fast over the keyboard.

"Room 214," she simpers, checking my partner out again before smiling sickeningly.

"Thank you," I mouth before rushing after Olivia down the hall.

Ivy is small, five foot two maybe and I would bet only 90 pounds. She has thick red curls and large green eyes that I'm sure I would find sexy as hell if I wasn't preoccupied with my female partner at the moment.

"Hey Ivy," she says, pulling up a small chair to sit next to the hospital bed. "I'm Detective Benson and this is my partner Detective Stabler, we'd like to ask you a couple questions!"

I notice that the red head checks me out from head to toe while Liv is talking and I move to stand beside my partner.

"Sure," the girl drawls out, her voice laden with a heavy Brooklyn accent. "Estelle was a new girl. Good with customers, a little too good if you get my drift. She was apparently an amateur and Jorge likes amateurs."

The girl is hard for me to follow but I think Liv understands her, at any rate she gets extra information than I would have been able to think of.

"Who's Jorge?"

Ivy smirks lustfully. "He's the owner of the Platinum night club, he finds and hires the dancers."

Olivia nods in agreement, "How does he 'find' his dancers?" she asks Ivy, blushing at the answer.

"They're either screwing him, or fucking around with someone who works for him."

"What about you?" I ask, finally getting into the conversation myself, Olivia is pretty flustered, she obviously didn't have to sleep with anyone to get her job.

"I was dicking around with one of the bouncers, Roy, but we broke up so I'm gonna have to heat up my act or get a new job; you know what I'm saying?"

Olivia nods while I shake my head. Both girls ignore me, kind of like when Maureen and Kathleen are conversing about boys and I interrupt them to ask how their day went.

"Did you see anyone taking a special interest in Ms. Milling?" I ask, once again worming my way into the interview.

Ivy shakes her head and heaves an enormously fake yawn. "Nope, sorry sugar, but I'm a little bit pooped out!"

"Okay," I reply, "we can talk later!" Olivia stands and she and I start to make our exit from the vixen in room 214, and Olivia breaks into hysterical laughter as soon as the door closes on our key witness. "What?" I growl at her.

"I believe that she asked who said anything about talking!" my young partner chokes out around her giggles.

Hospital clerks are starting to stare at us because her body is still shaken by chuckles. I laugh along with her for a moment before grabbing her shoulders in shock. Her eyes meet mine and she rolls her them quickly.

"What?"

"Did she say Platinum night club?"

"Yeah, so?"

"We had a case two months ago with a dead Platinum girl."

"Carved too?"

"Like a turkey!"

"Then what are going to do El?"

"Plant a decoy!"

tbc…


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: sorry it took so long, moving takes a lot of time! The song is Amazing by Aerosmith.

Luv yall, Sour

Disclaimer: if you haven't figured out that they don't belong to me yet….. then this story is probably too mature for you!

* * *

**The Front of My Heart**

**Chapter 5**

"Ready to go baby?" Olivia has sidled up next to me and for a moment I don't recognize her.

Her hair has extensions in it that make it fall down past her shoulders and her eyes look dark and smoky. Part of me wishes that I really am Richard Elliot, the new Platinum bartender, so that I could grab her and never let go. Instead I settle for looping my arm tightly around her waist and pulling her against my body.

"I am when you are," I answer, letting her scent wash over me and seep into my bones.

She smiles slyly, "Then let's go, because I have a surprise for you!"

Her words send a shiver up my spine and I have to remind myself once again that this is all an act. We aren't Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, we are Richard Elliot and Barbara Magic and we don't really exist. From the looks she's getting from other workers I'm pretty sure that her job is in the bag. She's wearing a white, lace covered camisole that has a small tie at her breasts. Her skirt is velvet and reminds me of something Maureen would wear to dance class since is wraps around her hips and ties at her side. Some Aerosmith song is resounding through the room and I can't help but notice how sexy my partner looks right now. I mentally kick myself as I spot my new boss making his way towards us.

"Rich," he calls out and I make myself smirk at him.

"Yeah Jorge?"

"Good work tonight, I'll see you tomorrow!" I see him give my partner a once over and his grin broadens.

Olivia notices how my arm tightens around her waist so she leans up and whispers something in my ear. From the look on Jorge's face I can safely bet my last dollar that it looks hot. She sends my boss a heated glance and it's obvious that he thinks that she was praising him just a moment before. In reality she said something along the lines of _'kind of short ain't he El?'_

"Hi," Olivia says, her voice sounding more like a purr than anything else. "I'm Barbara Magic, my friends call me Baby!"

"It's nice to meet you Baby," he nods, giving her hand a quick kiss.

"It's nice to meet you too," she replies slipping her hand around my waist and into the pocket of my jeans, "but if you don't mind, I've got to get this big guy home. I owe him a private dance tonight."

Jorge's eyes glaze over slightly and I see him give her a second once over, which kind of defeats the title if you ask me. Even without the high heels that she's holding in her hand to stave off blisters, Liv is still taller than him. That thought makes me chuckle.

"Maybe this nice man wants to see your talents!" I murmur to her, load enough for Jorge to hear me and he chuckles along with me. Olivia blushes.

"Want isn't the word I'd use. Need is closer!" he smiles at my partner and glances meaningfully at a dancing pole which is only a few feet from us.

I look at Olivia and smile at the determined look that crosses her features, "Bring it on," she whispers and I watch as Jorge cues another Aerosmith song.

Olivia waltzed over to the pole and took her first spin.

_**I kept the right ones out **_

_**And let the wrong ones in **_

_**Had an angel of mercy to see me through all my sins**_

_**There were times in my life  
When I was goin' insane  
Tryin' to walk through  
The pain**_

The music seemed to move her whole body easily, she just swayed and turned and rolled and my mouth dropped to the floor.

_**When I lost my grip  
And I hit the floor  
Yeah, I thought I could leave but couldn't get out the door  
I was so sick and tired  
Of a livin' a lie  
I was wishin' that I  
Would die**_

She takes another spin on the pole, her back arched outward and her head back. When her spin ends, her head snaps forward with the music and our eyes lock. Her dancing is seriously affecting me and I know it's got to show.

_**It's Amazing **_

_**With the blink of an eye you finally see the light **_

_**It's Amazing **_

_**When the moment arrives that you know you'll be alright **_

_**It's Amazing **_

_**And I'm sayin' a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight**_

She's amazing and I keep holding her eyes, not bothering to watch her body move anymore. Her skirt is rather short and I wonder if she planned it that way. Did she know that she would be doing an open audition.

_**That one last shot's a Permanent Vacation  
And how high can you fly with broken wings?  
Life's a journey not a destination  
And I just can't tell just what tomorrow brings**_

She pushes her hips into a turn and I can't help but notice that her legs look deliciously long on the stage.

_**You have to learn to crawl  
Before you learn to walk  
But I just couldn't liten to all that righteous talk  
I was out on the street,  
Just a tryin' to survive**_

She takes one last spin that I can't even begin to describe and hops down from the stage, ignoring the end of the song. She walks towards Jorge and I and I watch him try to hide the lust in his eyes.

"So?" she asks, her cop attitude peaking through and making her that much more tempting. I force myself to conjure up my wife's face.

"Gorgeous," my boss gasps out, waving his hand to stop the music. "Can you start tomorrow along with your boyfriend?"

Olivia squeals and launches herself at me and we almost topple backwards from the force of her jump. Instead I feel her wrap her arms around my neck as I grab a hold of her hips and I feel her lips touch mine. It's a wild kiss that leaves me wanting more but I know that it's just for show. People need to believe that we're sleeping together.

"I'll take that as a yes!" he mumbles to himself, "I'll see you lovebirds tomorrow!"

We link arms and head to Richard Elliot's old, rust red Camaro.

* * *

OOO

* * *

"I'm Velvet, you must be the new girl, Baby, right?" A tall black girl extends her hand to Olivia and I watch their conversation from my spot at the bar. I get a break in about twenty minutes and I intend to find out what the two girls are talking about.

"Jack and Coke," one of the bouncers demands, slipping into an empty seat. I slide a glass towards him and watch him start to slowly nurse it.

I think his name is Craig but I could be wrong. "Hard night?" I ask and he nods in response.

"You have no idea!" he replies, finishing his drink and motioning for another.

"Why's that?" I ask him, sliding him another glass.

He catches it, spilling a little alcohol onto the bar and glares at me. "Why should I sit around discussing my problems with you like a bunch of bitches?" I shrug and start to turn away before he stops me. "My girlfriend and I had a fight, a big one, and I haven't heard from her in two days!"

Something tells me to pry deeper. "What's her name?" I ask, sliding Craig another drink.

"Estelle, Estelle Milling."

It feels as though someone poured anti-freeze into my veins and my blood runs cold.

Craig shoots me a strange look, "What?" he asks,

"Didn't you know?" is all I can say quietly, we didn't talk to the media so the woman's death was a mystery to the public but our squad had contacted Platinum about her death.

"Know what?" his voice is taking on a deadlier tone and I have the urge to take a step backwards.

"She was found dead yesterday morning!"

Craig's face twists into a mask of pain and he hobbles away from the bar as though he's going to throw up. Poor soul probably is. I think I'd have a heart attack if I got news like that about Liv. One thing bugs me about this though. Why didn't he know she was dead? Surely Platinum would want its employees to exert caution outside, especially since there are now two dead girls from this club. So why wasn't Craig informed? Why did he think that she was just skipping work? What did they fight about?

Liv makes her way over to the bar, she's already danced four times tonight and she gets a break for awhile. She orders a shot of tequila and downs it quickly, smiling slightly. I notice a few customers staring at us so I lean forward and press my lips to hers, tasting the tequila. Her tongue sneaks out and touches mine. I groan and pull back.

"What have you found out?" I whisper, signaling to the other bartender that I'll be right back. He nods and Liv and I head to a secluded corner.

I lean against the wall and she presses her body to mine, my hands grasp her hips and she wraps her arms around my neck we intersperse words with kisses to make it look natural.

"Estelle Millings and her boyfriend had a huge fight before she died. Apparently she said that someone was making her uncomfortable and threatening her. Craig, her boyfriend, didn't believe her."

I nod, "Craig didn't know she was dead, he thought she was just skipping work." I notice Jorge turning our way and I grab her face in my hands and make love to her mouth with my tongue. He turns away, satisfied that we aren't doing anything suspicious.

"Velvet knew," Olivia says, her eyes fixed to my lips, I kiss her once more because I feel like it. "Why didn't Craig."

"Maybe someone was covering for whoever threatened or scared Estelle!" I offer and place a soft kiss to her throat.

She nods and presses closer to me, "that makes sense!" I sink my teeth gently into her skin and hear her gasp.

"You two lovebirds having fun?" Jorge asks quietly and I nearly die of a heart attack. He came out of nowhere. "You might want to go mingle, people will think you're up to something! Baby, I need you back on main stage in fifteen minutes."

Olivia nods and kisses me once more before hurrying to change her clothes.

Jorge sends me a toothy grin and points to the bathroom. "You may want to go cool down. Take as long as you need!" before sauntering off towards his little office.

* * *

tbc… 


End file.
